Networking architectures have grown increasingly complex in communications environments. Many of these architectures have gained significant notoriety because they can offer the benefits of automation, convenience, and data management for their respective online communities. Certain network protocols may be used in order to allow an end user to conduct online searches, for example, for candidates to fill a given vacancy. These protocols may relate to job searches, person-finding services, real estate searches, or online dating.
While some naive business people may believe that online dating is simply a matter of matching supply and demand, there is statistical and empirical evidence to suggest that successful online dating entails far more. For example, people having similar and/or compatible character traits and values should be matched together. Along a similar line of reasoning, end users should be matched based on their personality type. However, effectively linking two participants together can prove to be a challenging endeavor.
These matching decisions need to be carefully managed by an administrator in order to achieve a suitable level of satisfaction from customers. Systems that fail to account for compatibility issues and/or personality types can mislead their customers, frustrate their clients, and waste the time of all those involved. Accordingly, the ability to provide effective mechanisms and features for optimally matching in an online community offers a significant challenge to website operators, component manufacturers, and system designers alike.